Re: Lack of software abstractions

> Would this be a way for J applications to be packaged for distribution?
>  Is there any standard way for doing this?

Please be more specific.  What are the features of a J application  
packaged for distribution?

If the primary feature of a distributable package is a solitary, stand  
alone J script (as opposed to multiple interdependent scripts), then  
yes, there is a standard way for doing this.

Check out Run>Project Manager (CTRL+B) .  You can read about it here:

   http://www.jsoftware.com/jwiki/Project_Manager

I've never used it, because the J code I was paid for was always  
server side (i.e. I controlled the environments in which it ran).

Also, I've never understood the advantage of a standalone script.   
What's the appeal?  What if one of your clients had a bug?  It'd be  
much harder to go to his desk and fix it, with all the definitions  
glommed together like that.  And harder still would be incorporating  
the fix back into your modularized (multi-script) development  
environment.

Personally, if I were to distribute J code, I'd use Run>Package  
Manager (CTRL+I), unless someone convince me the single script scheme  
is superior?   You can read about Package Manager (which is new) here:

   http://www.jsoftware.com/jwiki/JAL/Package_Manager

Back to the topic at hand:  if, by "standard way for doing this", you  
meant something else my script does, then no.  That's why I had to  
write it :)

-Dan